Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

Download print

Rosh Hashana: Reaching the Heavenly Throne, One Step at a Time

In the famous final Mishna of Masechet Yoma, Rabbi Akiva presents two analogies for the purification achieved through the process of Teshuba. First, he cites the verse in the Book of Yehezkel (36:25) in which G-d proclaims, "I shall sprinkle upon you purifying waters, and you shall be pure." Here, the purification of Teshuba is compared to the purifying Para Aduma waters, which are sprinkled on a person or object that had come in contact with a human corpse, in order to purify it. Then, Rabbi Akiba references a verse from the Book of Yirmiyahu (17:13), "Mikveh Yisrael Hashem" – "G-d is Israel’s Mikveh’." In this verse, Teshuba is likened to immersion in a Mikveh.

Rav Yishak Elhanan Spektor of Kovno (1817-1896) explained that these two analogies represent two vastly different models of repentance.

A Mikveh purifies a person through the immersion of his or her entire body in the water. If even one strand of hair extends outside the water, the immersion is invalid. Immersion in a Mikveh, then, represents what we might call "180-degree Teshuba," where a person makes a complete about-face, swiftly transforming from a sinner to a righteous Sadik, "cleansing" himself or herself entirely, like one who immerses in the Mikveh waters.

The Para Aduma waters, by contrast, reach only a very small portion of the person’s body. The person becomes pure by virtue of just part of his body receiving the purifying waters. This model, Rav Spektor explained, represents what we might call "four-degree Teshuba," repentance by taking small steps forward. Only a small portion of a person’s conduct is improved – just like a small portion of a person’s body comes in contact with the Para Aduma waters – but this suffices to bring a degree of purity.

I am familiar with a number of people who succeeded in following the Mikveh model of Teshuba, in completing transforming themselves in a very short period of time, entirely changing their behavior. But for the vast majority of us, the more practical model of Teshuba is that of the sprinkling of the Para Aduma waters. Rarely does one succeed in making long-lasting changes in his or her behavior through a sudden overhaul. Permanent change occurs through small steps, making one simple change at a time.

For most of us, committing ourselves to never again speak Lashon Ha’ra is not practical. What we can do, however, is commit to eliminate Lashon Ha’ra from our conversations at the Shabbat table.

For most of us, it is not practical to commit to become proficient in the Talmud during the coming year. But we all can make a commitment to add a period of time each day, or least each week, for advanced Torah learning.

This is "small-step Teshuba," and for the vast majority of us, this is the way it should be done.

The Talmud teaches that Teshuba reaches the Kiseh Ha’kabod (heavenly throne). Rav Shimshon of Ostropoli (d. 1648) noted that if we write the letters of "Kiseh Ha’kabod" incrementally, starting with the letter Kaf, followed by Kaf-Samech, then Kaf-Samech-Alef, then Kaf-Samech-Alef-Heh, and so on, each time adding the next letter, all the letters combine for a total Gematria of 713 – the Gematria of the word "Teshuba." After making this observation, Rav Shimshon was asked why the phrase "Kiseh Ha’kabod" needs to be

associated with the word "Teshuba" in such a convoluted way, by adding one letter at a time. He explained that this is precisely how Teshuba reaches the heavenly throne – incrementally, by taking one small step followed by another small step.

If the notion of Teshuba seems frightening or intimidating, it is only because we think Teshuba means "immersing," making a complete transformation all at once. But there is also another model of Teshuba – making one small improvement at a time, which is something each and every one of us, without exception, is fully capable of.

Let us all choose one small step we can take to improve as we begin the new year, and this small step will then bring us closer to the heavenly throne, rendering us worthy of a happy, healthy year, Amen.

Related Parasha
Rosh Hashana- A Time to Stop Making Excuses - 2022 Year
Parashat Vayelech: Transforming the Curse Into a Blessing - 2022 Year
Shabbat Shuva- Teshuba & Torah Learning - 2021 Year
Rosh Hashana- Our Annual Resurrection - 2020 Year
Parashat Nisavim: What “Life” Really Means - 2020 Year
Shabbat Shuba- The Most Urgent Teshuba That We Need Today - 2019 Year
Understanding the Shofar’s Call - 2019 Year
Kal Nidrei - 2018 Year
Partial Teshuva - 2018 Year
Parashat Nisavim: It Depends Only on Us - 2017 Year
Praying For Teshuba - 2016 Year
Praying For Teshuba - 2016 Year
Aseret Yemeh Teshuba- The Three Questions Posed to Hillel - 2015 Year
Rosh Hashana: The Yom Tob of Emuna - 2015 Year
Rosh Hashana: The Three Keys to a Favorable Judgment - 2014 Year
Ellul: Teshuba Can’t Wait - 2013 Year
Shabbat Shuba: The Easiest Misva - 2012 Year
Parashat Nisavim- Outreach by Default - 2012 Year
Rosh Hashana- Our False Sense of Security - 2011 Year
Parashat Nisavim- The “Cardiac Jew” - 2011 Year
Sefer/Parasha:
Shabbat Morning Class - Succot
Succot- Celebrating Forgiveness
Yom Kippur: Yona- Getting a Second Chance
Shabbat Shuva- Which is the Right Way to Do Teshuba?
Parashat Nisavim- Exposure to Wrongful Behavior – It’s More Dangerous Than You Think
Parashat Ki-Teseh: Beyond the Letter of the Law
Parashat Shofetim- The King and the Sefer Torah
Parashat Re'eh- People are Watching
Parashat Ekeb- There’s No Such Thing as a “Small” Misva
Parashat Vaethanan- We All Have a Piece of God Inside Us
Parashat Debarim- “Do Not Fear Any Man”
Parashat Matot-Maseh: A Special Opportunity for Redemption
Parashat Pinhas- Ignoring the Naysayers
Parashat Balak- Think For a Moment Before Clicking “Send”…
Shabbat Morning Class - Parasha Emor / Lag BaOmer
1002 Parashot found